New recruits and cool graphics at the International Moth UK Nationals
by Mark Jardine 9 Jul 16:56 BST
9-12 July 2026
Grant Blake with his Exocet Moth © Mark Jardine
The International Moth UK Nationals opened on Thursday with balmy temperatures in Foiltown, but unfortunately negligible wind. Memories of the ill-fated 2023 World Championship at the WPNSA resurfaced, including mention of the 'Why are they hosting the event at a known light wind venue' social media post, but things are looking superb for Friday and the weekend, so everyone was happy to bimble on their boats and catch up with old friends.
The reason for the lack of wind soon became obvious, with Alex Adams wearing a 2023 Worlds top, a portent for calms and quasher of sea breezes. He has been told in no uncertain terms to wear something different tomorrow, and preferably to burn the misfortunate T-shirt.
There are several newcomers this year in the fleet, and finding out their route into the foiling Moth class is fascinating. Amongst them is Grant Blake from Oxford Sailing Club, who has recently purchased a second-hand Exocet design, so I caught up with him to find out more about his previous sailing and what attracted him to the class.
Mark: What was your first experience sailing?
Grant: There was a teacher running an after-school session who asked if I'd like to come along, and I did, and I absolutely hated it. After a year I tried it again, and that time was slightly more successful, and that was 22 years ago now.
Mark: When you first sailed, what was it that you disliked?
Grant: I think the getting wet. It was relatively windy, so it was terrifying. The thought of having zero control and being pushed out on my own just didn't work for me.
Mark: You've clearly picked up the bug since, and you'd progressed through to sailing a K6. What boats did you sail up until then?
Grant: Ah... unfortunately, I'm a bit of a boat collector. I've been through probably 40 different boats to get to that point. Generally, I keep them for a long time, but I only sail them for a relatively short period of time and I'm super easily swayed.
Mark: So, where do you keep your boat collection?
Grant: It's a bit of a running joke at Oxford about how many boat spaces I have to take on. At one point, I was the most expensive club member at Oxford, mostly due to my boat berthing fees.
Mark: You work in the industry, at Williams Jet Tenders. Did that come about because of your sailing?
Grant: It did. Before that I worked in the fishing industry as a manufacturer and distributor of tackle, and I went along to Williams one day at an open day, purely to be nosy due to my interest in boats, and got called back for an interview, and I've now been there ten years.
Mark: Jumping from the K6 to a Moth may not seem like the obvious step. With the K6 you've got a bit of a keel, and it's almost a modern-day Flying Fifteen. When you sailed the class demo Moth, what really caught your attention?
Grant: It's the speed; the difference mostly between almost any boat and a Moth is substantial. What I always say to everybody having had a go now, is that actually they're not very hard to sail, it's just incredibly different. While the speed is there, the boat is doing all the hard work for me. It's purely keeping the boat doing what it wants to do, as opposed to trying to fight it, like you do every other boat.
Mark: You went straight from the demo boat to 'I want one'. How did you then find your boat and do you mind if I ask what you paid for it?
Grant: Of course. I was very fortunate that someone actually went and did all the legwork for me. So a couple of the other guys from Oxford decided that I should definitely join the fleet. They went and found me a boat, and a very gracious guy called John Evans, who lives up north, decided to sell me his. I paid £4,500 for what is an older, but certainly still competitive in the mid-fleet boat.
Mark: It's an Exocet you've bought, a design which won the World Championship as recently as 2019, so you have a really good platform which is also upgradable, for a very reasonable price.
Grant: That's kind of what drew me in. As an outsider, I've always thought that to be in the Moths you had to spend tens of thousands of pounds, go to the gym every day, and sail professionally; I think the class has finally got to a point where really good secondhand boats are not ridiculous amounts of money, and certainly a lot cheaper and a lot faster than any other high-performance boat. You won't go faster than this for the money.
Mark: One of things that has been lost in the Moth class for a while, which used to happen a lot, was graphics on the boat, and straight away you have put Lightning McQueen stickers on your Moth. I believe your son was the inspiration for this?
Grant: Yes, my little boy Charlie. He's a four year old, and as you can imagine, as with most four year olds, he absolutely idolises Lightning McQueen. I did it because I wanted him to be excited about it. Now he goes and tells all his friends that 'my daddy races Lightning McQueen', and that is the excitement I want him to take away from sailing.
Mark: You mentioned it was the rest of the fleet at Oxford in the Moths who helped you get a boat after you tried the demo boat. Have you found them helpful since?
Grant: Oh, 100% - they've made a massive difference. I think if you ever went out and tried to sail a Moth on your own, you've got a big learning curve because, short of being an engineer, you've got some figuring out to do. The Oxford guys (and having now chatted to a few guys here at the Nationals) show how everyone's super friendly and super helpful. They were willing to share tips that make a lot of sense once someone tells you, but going out there and doing it, it'll take you hours to figure out yourself. For example, someone told me to stop trying to steer it like a boat and ride it like a bike instead, and that made a massive difference. If you lean into the turns, the boat will look after you, and it's a case of moving your body, getting across, and you'll come out the other side every time.
Mark: You're on the steep part of the learning curve right now. What is the best moment that you've had in the boat, which has given you the biggest grin?
Grant: Oh, the first gybe was something special. You spend ages bearing away, going downwind, and then all hell starts breaking loose, the boat wobbles, and you fall out the back. Then something suddenly works, and the boat gybes, and you come out the other side, and you're still flying, and you kind of just sit there in disbelief. That was probably the first big eureka moment for me.
Mark: What would you say to someone who's looked at the Moth, seen the videos and pictures, and is coming from a keelboat or dinghy, but may think it looks a bit out of reach?
Grant: Don't think that at all. It's no harder to sail than a Laser. It's one sail and the boat does all of the hard work for you - all of the foiling. You have to do a little bit of thinking sometimes if something's going wrong, but most of the time someone will be able to tell you what it is that's making it go wrong: ride height adjustment or things that you don't particularly have to play with on other boats. Otherwise, it's just different techniques. It's not about out-hiking the boat, you have to let the boat do the work for you, and as soon as you figure that out, everything becomes easy.
Things are looking up for Friday with 12 to 17 knots forecast and more blazing sunshine. Perfect for the Moths to light up on Portland Harbour. If you're in the area then do come take a look and talk to the sailors. With their enthusiasm you'll soon be hooked and your sailing will reach a whole new level. We'll bring you all the news from the race course as soon as possible after the sailing.
The International Moth UK National Championship 2026 is grateful for the support of Wetsuit Outlet, Optimum Time, Noble Marine Insurance, Shock Sailing, Allen, the Dorset Sea Salt Co. and South Coast Embroidery as well as the dedicated and friendly team of staff and volunteers at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy for making this event possible.